My PC suffered an attack recently that threatened to get out of hand. Would my credit card details and other sensitive information be stolen? Luckily I managed to fix the problem quickly.
The most worrying problem was the inability to use Windows Updates. My antivirus package (Norton Antivirus) detected trojan.VUNDO. It reported the problem was fixed, but then the problem returned immediately.
The implication of this is the computer is cut off from security updates from the operating system supplier (Microsoft) and hence becomes more vulnerable to further more serious attacks. Potentially if a predator, who for instance wants to compromise your bank details or passwords, whatever, knows that if he has cut you off from reinforcements from the operating system provider or your antivirus software provider, he knows that you are defenceless and wounded and sooner or later he can find a way through. You could be farmed.
If security updates are disabled, it is like a bank that has its alarm system cut off. You ignore it at your peril, even if the computer is nomal in every other way.
In this case not only was the automatic updates of Windows knocked out. Also the ability to access Windows security downloads manually was disabled. This severely handicaps your ability to fix the problem. You are effectively cut off from base. Your operating system provider cannot help you.
The next resort was to go to the Windows forums and discussion groups to find an independent route to getting a fix. A report of the same problem was quickly found after doing a search of the discussion group. A software package was recomended that could deal with this problem. The package in question had the major advantage that it was free! It is called Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware 1.31 and it can be found at http://www.malwarebytes.org/ and I strongly recommend it.
There are paid versions as well. Updates are brought out every few days and so they are clearly responding to new threats rapidly.
Criminals are continually developing malware, including viruses, trojans and worms with the object of stealing money from members of the Internet community. Fortunately there are companies like Malewarebytes out there fighting them. They certainly fixed trojan.VUNDO for me.
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